Whether you are a patient or visitor at Sunrise Hospital, we want your experience with us to be as pleasant as possible. We have provided helpful information to help you during your stay or while visiting a patient in the hospital.

Risk Factors for Cirrhosis

A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.

It is possible to develop cirrhosis with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing cirrhosis. If you have risk factors for cirrhosis, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.
Even one or two risk factors is reason enough to consult a provider.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Increased consumption of alcohol over a long period of time puts you at a higher risk for developing cirrhosis.

Alcohol is toxic to liver cells. It also damages the liver by changing how your body breaks down food. People who abuse alcohol also tend to have poor diets, which may also contribute to cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis does not develop in everyone who drinks but most cirrhosis develops because of alcohol abuse.

Medical Conditions

Chronic Infection with Hepatitis B, C, or D

Some acute viral hepatitis infections become chronic, leading to liver inflammation and injury that. Over time, this can progress to cirrhosis. Common viral infections include:

Infection with the hepatitis B virus
—World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show that 2 billion individuals are initially infected with hepatitis B virus and 350 million remain infected chronically and become carriers of the virus. The rate of hepatitis B infection is highest among Asians and Pacific Islanders and second highest among non-Hispanic blacks.

Acute infection with hepatitis C
— becomes chronic in about 80% of infected adults. About 10%-15% of people with chronic hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis, usually over many years. The rate of hepatitis C infection is highest among non-Hispanic blacks.

Hepatitis D
— infects people who are already infected with hepatitis B.

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

With NASH, fat cells build up in the liver and eventually lead to scarring. This type of hepatitis is associated with:

Blockage of the bile ducts causes bile to back up and damage liver tissue. In adults, this can occur with a condition called primary biliary cirrhosis, in which the bile ducts become inflamed, blocked, and scarred.

Bile ducts may also be blocked due to a disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis. It can also occur as a result of
gallstones
, or as a complication of gallbladder surgery if the ducts are accidentally tied off or injured. It can result from inflammation of the pancreas, called
pancreatitis
. In infants, blocked bile ducts may result from biliary atresia, a condition in which the bile ducts are injured or totally absent from birth.

Hepatic Congestion

Conditions such as heart failure or constrictive pericarditis can cause congestion within the liver and eventually lead to scarring.

Inherited Disorders

Numerous inherited disorders interfere with the way the liver produces, processes, and stores enzymes, proteins, metals, and other substances necessary for proper functioning of the body.
They include:

Hemochromatosis
—an inherited disorder that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron, which builds up in various organs, including the liver, and causes damage

Wilsons disease
—an inherited disorder that results in excessive copper accumulation in the body, which also can produce liver damage

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency—an inherited deficiency of a protein produced in the liver that normally functions to block the destructive effects of certain enzymes; may lead to liver disease and
emphysema

Galactosemia—an inherited disorder characterized by the inability of the body to use the simple sugar galactose; leads to an accumulation of galactose 1-phosphate, which causes damage to the liver, central nervous system, and various other body systems

Glycogen storage diseases—a group of inherited disorders caused by a lack of one or more enzymes that results in excessive storage of glycogen in the liver and eventual liver damage

Budd-Chiari syndrome—a condition caused by a blood clot which blocks the veins that carry blood from the liver into the inferior vena cava. The vena cava is the large vein which carries blood from the left side of our body back to the heart.

Autoimmune Hepatitis

This is a condition in which immune cells mistake normal liver cells as invading cells and attack them.

Other Factors

The following factors can lead to liver damage include :

Severe adverse reactions to prescription drugs, such as isoniazid and methotrexate

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.